Golden Rice On The Rebound?

Despite predictions of doom and gloom from the likes of Greenpeace and other fear-mongers, Golden Rice – a genetically-improved strain with added vitamin A – is gaining mainstream support. Nobody ever claimed that this one crop would solve the world’s vitamin deficiency problems, but the effects of its success or failure will be felt for generations. The Saint Louis Post-Dispatch notes: “At risk is not just Golden Rice but the development of crops that deplete less soil, use less pesticide and thrive in poor soils and climates.” In Reason magazine, Ronald Bailey adds that the current state of affairs begs this question: “Will anti-biotech activists succeed in breaking the promise that golden rice holds for poor people in the developing world?”